Abstract

The dilation x-ray imager (DIXI) is a high-speed x-ray framing camera that uses the pulse-dilation technique to achieve a temporal resolution of less than 10 ps. This is a 10× improvement over conventional framing cameras currently employed on the National Ignition Facility (NIF) (100 ps resolution), and otherwise only achievable with 1D streaked imaging. A side effect of the dramatically reduced gate width is the comparatively lower detected signal level. Therefore we implement a Poisson noise reduction with non-local principal component analysis method to improve the robustness of the DIXI data analysis. Furthermore, we present results on ignition-relevant experiments at the NIF using DIXI. In particular we focus on establishing that/when DIXI gives reliable shape metrics (P 0, P 2 and P 4 Legendre modes, and their temporal evolution/swings).

As the yield on implosion shots increases it is expected that the peak x-ray emission reduces to a duration with a FWHM as short as 20 ps for ~7 10 18 neutron yield. However, the temporal resolution of currently used gated x-ray imagers on the NIF is 40-100 ps. We discuss the benefits of the higher temporal resolution for the NIF and present performance measurements for DIXI, which utilizes pulse-dilation technology [1] to achieve x-ray imaging with temporal gate times below 10 ps. Lastly, the measurements were conducted using the COMET laser, which is part of the Jupiter Laser Facilitymore » at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.« less

Development and testing of a dual microchannel plate (MCP) module to be used in the national inertial confinement fusion (ICF) program has recently been completed. The MCP module is a key component of a new monochromatic x-ray imaging diagnostic which is designed around a four channel Kirkpatrick{endash}Baez microscope and diffraction crystals and is located at the University of Rochester{close_quote}s Omega laser system. The MCP module has two separate MCP regions with centers spaced 53 mm apart. Each region contains a 25 mm MCP proximity focused to a P-11 phosphor coated fiberoptic faceplate. The two L/D=40, MCPs have a 10.2 mmmore » wide, 8 ohm stripline constructed of 500 nm copper overcoated with 100 nm gold. A 4 kV, 150 ps electrical pulse provides an optical gatewidth of 80 ps and spatial resolution has been measured at 20 lp/mm. {copyright} {ital 1997 American Institute of Physics.}« less

Gated imagers used to record x-ray emission in the 1--5 keV range in laser-plasma interaction experiments have suffered from resistive gain degradation between voltage drive pulse input and output ends of a microchannel-plate stripline. The reduction in gain as the pulse travels down the strip results in a lower signal-to-background ratio in the last image on a strip than in the first image. Compensation for this gain nonuniformity using a tapered stripline in place of the normally straight striplines is discussed.

Plasma spectroscopy requires determination of spectral line intensities and widths. At Sandia National Laboratories Z facility we use elliptical crystal spectrometers equipped with gated microchannel plate detectors to record time and space resolved spectra. We collect a large volume of data typically consisting of five to six snapshots in time and five to ten spectral lines with 30 spatial elements per frame, totaling to more than 900 measurements per experiment. Also, this large volume of data requires efficiency in processing. We have addressed this challenge by using a line fitting routine to automatically fit each spectrum using assumed line profilesmore » and taking into account photoelectron statistics to efficiently extract line intensities and widths with uncertainties. We verified that the random data noise obeys Poisson statistics. Rescale factors for converting film exposure to effective counts required for understanding the photoelectron statistics are presented. An example of the application of these results to the analysis of spectra recorded in Z experiments is presented in this paper.« less

As the yield on implosion shots increases it is expected that the peak x-ray emission reduces to a duration with a FWHM as short as 20 ps for {approx}7 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 18} neutron yield. However, the temporal resolution of currently used gated x-ray imagers on the NIF is 40-100 ps. We discuss the benefits of the higher temporal resolution for the NIF and present performance measurements for dilation x-ray imager, which utilizes pulse-dilation technology [T. J. Hilsabeck et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. 81, 10E317 (2010)] to achieve x-ray imaging with temporal gate times below 10 ps. The measurements were conductedmore » using the COMET laser, which is part of the Jupiter Laser Facility at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.« less